


From Seed to Bloom

by Kashimalin



Category: Hatoful Kareshi | Hatoful Boyfriend
Genre: Early in Canon, Falling In Love, Flowers, Fluff, Gardens & Gardening
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-14
Updated: 2017-08-14
Packaged: 2018-12-15 04:17:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,423
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11798202
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kashimalin/pseuds/Kashimalin
Summary: Nageki looks out the window of the library and sees the garden. It's covered with weeds and overgrown to the point of no return. Without a means to care for it himself, he asks for your assistance.





	From Seed to Bloom

You thought they would be a welcome addition to the usual gloom of the library. The solitary space often lent itself to an air of loneliness and regret. Dust gathered on the untouched shelves, novels found themselves into the wrong places, and the lighting was lackluster at best.

Your first thought was, naturally, a pleasant vase of flowers, placed right on the edge of the front desk. The vibrant blossoms lit up the room with a splash of color. You admired your addition with a small smile on your face.

“What are those for?” The gentle, wispy voice that was all too familiar called out from the bookcases. You turned to see Nageki standing there, his green locks brushing against the sides of his cheeks. Cool brown eyes watched your every motion as you stepped aside to display the bouquet.

“It’s for the library! What do you think?”

The boy stared at the artistic arrangement, blinking twice. You thought for a moment that he might not approve of such a thing in the library – which you considered his domain, not yours – but he flashed a small, slight smile your way.

“They’re very pretty.” With that, he turned and settled down at your usual table, unconsciously pulling your chair out before his own. “I like flowers a lot, so I’m happy you brought some here.”

“Really?” You smiled at the thought of Nageki, out of this library, surrounded by flowers. _He would look especially adorable with a flower crown._ “Do you have a garden at home?”

Nageki paused a moment, but then shook his head. “No. But there is one here, at school. It’s right out that window.” He nodded towards the one wall, returning to his book as you stepped over to the glass. Looking down, you saw why Nageki had mentioned it at all.

The entire bed was overgrown. You could easily make out swathes of vines and wildflowers, along with puffy dandelions and strange green weeds. Overall, the sight was unappealing; it was clear that nobody cared for it.

“Do you want help taking care of it, Nageki?” Your suggestion was instant. “Have your studies kept you from working in it?”

“Oh, no. I never got the chance to care for it. The sun, it…” Nageki waved a hand before his face. “My skin can’t handle it.”

“Makes sense.” You glanced back outside again. “It’s a depressing sight, though! Seeing it all destroyed like that, without anybody taking care of it…”

“You’re the first girl at our school. They would listen to you, perhaps, if you said they should fix up the garden. It’s unsightly, I agree.”

“Mm…” You trailed off, lost in thought as you scanned the garden. Already, you were forming a better idea about what to do. Your expert hunter-gatherer instincts also came with knowledge about botany and plants.

It was about time you could put that knowledge to good use.

* * *

_Where is she?_

Nageki found that he couldn’t focus on the book in front of him. His eyes kept shifting up towards the door, waiting patiently for it to open and reveal your bright smile and happy demeanor. Without your company, the library felt lonely. The flowers you brought helped, somewhat, but over the past few days, they had begun to wilt. The slight droop in their stems and falling petals indicated that it was time to throw them out. Nageki stood to do so, glancing at the bright, sunlit window.

Suddenly, it struck him. Dashing over, his palms hit the glass, feeling the forceful impact. His eyes searched and easily found who he was expecting to see.

You were kneeling on the ground, tugging at the thick carpet of greens and weeds. Your fingers nimbly snagged what was available and _pulled_. Roots unearthed themselves from the ground at your touch, spreading dirt and leaves everywhere.

Nageki studied you for a while, chuckling whenever the plant won your one-on-one battles, causing you to fall backwards as the vine or stem slipped out of your grip. But each time, you went right back to working, hardly hesitating. _You are doing something that I have wished to do for what feels like forever._

With that thought ringing in his ears, Nageki swung open the window. The sound of the creaking wood, long untouched, caught your attention. Your eyes met Nageki’s as you spun, and you waved up at him, calling out.

“Hey, Nageki! Sorry I didn’t tell you I was working on the garden today!”

“It’s okay,” he said lightly, before realizing you couldn’t hear him. Raising his voice, he responded, “I… I-It’s okay. I am grateful you are working on the garden, truly.”

“Me too! I want this place to look great. A spot of goodness for our school. Do you want to come down and help?”

 _Yes_ , he so desperately wanted to say. He tried to ignore the imaginations of soil under his fingernails and the smell of grass and flowers – sensations that he wouldn’t get inside this library.

“I don’t want to risk my health outside. I could collapse.”

“That’s true,” you said faintly. You had been wishing that he could work beside you, but he had his reasons for staying cooped up in the dim, quiet library. Risking his health wasn’t your idea of a nice time together. “Then, do you want to make suggestions while I work?”

“I suppose.” He grabbed a chair from the nearest table and tugged it over to the window. “Like how I think you should have gotten a pair of cutters for those vines?”

You sighed up at him as you gave up on the knotty patch before you. “Yeah, but this was an impromptu thing! I didn’t have time to prepare.”

“You can buy them on the way home, then.” Nageki watched as you dug to the dandelion roots, getting all of them out of the garden. “I think they would be useful, especially in the long run.”

“Would it be all right if I worked here tomorrow, too?”

“Well —” Nageki tapped a finger against his chin – “You shouldn’t be skipping out on your library shift, you know.”

“I’m not! This is just as important.”  
“How so?”

“I’m improving the scenic view from the library window, in case any of the patrons want a nice, beautiful garden before them when they look outside. Therefore, this is part of my work.”

“Self-assigned, by your order.”

You gave him a pout before dumping the remainder of the day’s work into a leaf bag. Rolling it up, you said, “Yeah, but I think that because I’m doing it for you and me, it’s still important. I’ll come up now, okay?”

Nageki felt _something_ itching at his cheeks, the slightest of swells in a heart that had been there once before.

“All right. See you in a minute, then.” His fingers, shaking, reached out and closed the window between you. Your footsteps came to the door soon after that, and the two of you settled into your daily routine, happy in each other’s company, talking until it came time for you to go home.

* * *

You walked into the library, letting the door swing shut behind you. The loud sound caused Nageki to jump in his seat. As you walked over, you saw that he was giving you an even stare, glowering over his novel.

“Quiet in the library,” he hissed.

“You tell me that way too often,” you said jokingly, bopping his nose. “Anyway, look!” You raised the box over the table and tipped the contents, letting them cascade out. “I got these last night.”

Nageki watched as they fell, lifting one from the pile. He raised an eyebrow as he read, noticing that they were seed packets. “What on earth are these for? I don’t think I could stomach these—”

“They’re not for eating. They’re for planting. Look, they have instructions and stuff.” You turned the one in his hands, brushing your fingers against his for a moment. He jolted, nearly dropping it – but luckily, you didn’t notice.

“… I think these ones are best for spring, based on what it says right there?”

“Y… Yes. That seems right.” Nageki gave a reassuring smile. “I look forward to seeing what you plant. What have you got here, anyway?”

“I have some birds of paradise, which I thought were really pretty. Oh, and wait, let me…” You sat down next to him and began to divvy up the packets, sorting them into different piles. “Look. I have daffodils, daisies, tulips… heather and lavender, but they look alike… lilacs! And some asters and lilies…”

As you spoke, Nageki couldn’t help staring at you. That precious smile was on your lips again as you excitedly talked about what you had bought.

 _She’s working so hard to make this garden happen, all because I said something._ Nageki held back a sigh, his eyes glistening with affection. You looked so happy doing this, and he felt bad that he could never go outside and appreciate the fruits of your labor. Admiring from afar wasn’t bad, necessarily – but it meant that he wouldn’t get to smell the blossoms for himself, nor find a way to help out.

Despite that, you were working hard without him – _for_ him. Despite your schedule, you were putting effort into the rejuvenation project.

He had to admire you for that.

* * *

He also had to admire you for being alive. It certainly came with a plethora of added benefits that one didn’t get from being trapped in a confined space.

As fall began to end and the chill of winter approached, your usual positions changed from side-by-side at the library table to one at the window, one in the garden. He would watch and give advice as you planted seeds, saying that one color could be better in another area. At times, you would protest, and arguments occasionally ensued. This prompted teachers to open windows and ask you to settle down. Each time that happened, you would both laugh and move on from there.

Winter vacation went to spring semester, and Nageki sighed wistfully. You were watering the garden with a newly installed hose. That week had brought exciting news – the school had given you a bit of funding to care for the garden. As the sole worker on the project, you had been given the dual role of gardener and library staff, cycling between the two as needed. This news reassured Nageki, as it meant people would hopefully be caring for that little plot for years to come. A small part of him felt like he wouldn’t bear witness to its long life; only to be outweighed by the simple fact he had been here quite some time already. _Why would that change anytime soon?_

“Do you think it looks good?” Your voice pried him from his reverie, and he shook his head, squinting down at the scene.

One could see the little nubs of green as they started to show themselves through the dirt. When the snow had come earlier, you couldn’t help thinking of the flowers dying before they had a chance to live was a possibility. However, they worked through the cold, beginning to push out of the confines of their roots – practically a miracle.

“I do. I am curious as to the finished product.” Nageki shifted in his seat, sliding a paper into his book. “I just hope it all comes out nicely, since you put so much effort into it, even over winter break.”

At his comment, you paused, tilting your head to one side. “What? Were you here over winter break?”

 _Oh, no._ Nageki’s eyes widened as he realized his mistake. You were not aware of his prison yet, and having said those words revealed that he had been here over winter break. Racking his brain for an excuse, he quickly spoke to cover up the near-fatal error.

“I was worried. Just like you. I came to check up on the garden in the cold. I knew it was a risk, but I chanced it anyway and saw you here. I should have assumed you were working, but I didn’t think…” He trailed off, and you nodded, picking up the pieces.

“That makes sense! But then, you didn’t want to help?”

“I couldn’t feel my fingers,” he said, hopefully in a sheepish tone – and yes, there it was. Your clear laughter.

“Well, I’ll get you down here at some point, if you’re braving the cold like that!”

“I would very much want you to try.”

* * *

Nageki was well-aware of how much you meant to him. It was in the way you made him feel – _that he wanted to live again, if even for a day_ – which made him feel brighter and lighter. The weight of his deed was easing off his shoulders as the flowers peeked out of the soil. The gloomy dark tones of the library were offset by the sight out the window as buds began to form.

The smell of smoke that occasionally rose in his memories was replaced when you brought a fresh bouquet up again. The sweet smell of cut flowers filled the space almost instantly, and Nageki was grateful for it. The garden had truly become something special, that just the two of you appreciated and understood on a level that no other person was capable of.

The person before him was the one who made it all happen. As you touched up the arrangement, he breathed a sigh.

“What’s up, Nageki?”

“Nothing. Perhaps just that I am grateful to have such a wonderful friend in you. That I am happy you came to work at this library and that you are the first true conversation I’ve had in a very, very long time.”

“That can’t be true,” you said, smirking at him. “You must talk to your parents and stuff!”

“Well…  well, yes.” _I can’t do it, not now._ “But I mean here, in school. There are reasons I hide out in the library.”

“Obviously. But I’m glad I came here too! I got to meet you and I got to grow a garden with you! I would do this all again if I had to start over.”

“I would too. Without question. This has been the best time of my life, and I would do it over and over again.”

Your smiles reflected one another’s, and neither of you wanted to look away.

For a moment, all of time froze. And it was there that you wanted to stay.


End file.
